A Dramatic Return
by Amatsu Rein
Summary: --Tsuki no Shippo-- Hanzo made a mistake, a big mistake, and now Usagi's runaway, and he can't find her. What happens when she comes back? Warning: Fluff, among other things...


_Disclaimer: I don't own Tail of the Moon (Tsuki no Shippo). Only Kieran, Morgan, and Zeigha are mine. No touchies!!_

_A/n--Hey, this is random and off of my new favorite manga, so beware randomness!!...Right...that made sense...Anyways, this is just a short ONESHOT in which I have most likely butchered writing AND Tail of the Moon, but guess what. I wrote it anyways!! Please don't flame, but I'll take the criticism! Thank you!_

**A Dramatic Return**

Usagi had disappeared from Iga, leaving all her friends and family without anything more than a note saying;

_I'll be okay. Don't follow me._

Hanzo had no faith in her abilities of self-defense, though, and went looking for her immediately. He was gone a week and a day, but returned with a hollow heart and empty hands. The little Klutz was nowhere to be found and it left Hanzo feeling guilty. He and Usagi had had an argument the night before, you see, and it had ended badly. He had only left her hurt and upset, for the umpteenth time, because he could rest on the fact that he'd be able to make her smile tomorrow. Thing about tomorrow was that she wasn't there.

She had gone, and, by god, she wasn't coming back until she had made something of herself. Be it a renowned healer or hooker, she didn't care, as long as it made up for her uselessness at being a ninja.

--

_3 years later..._

--

The annual ninja games had come around once again, and all those interested in participating were signing up. Goemon sat by Hanzo and Hanzou unhappily. After Usagi had left without so much as a by-your-leave he hadn't had much of a reason to fight. Yuri put her all into attracting the star of Hojiro, but it still wasn't going to well.

Hanzo had insisted on spending alot of time in Hojiro rather than his own home in hopes of catching Usagi if she ever came back. He was lucky enough to catch the games this year.

Normally it was the same crop of people every year, but this year was different. There were several strangers dressed strangely and signing up. More than once they had been asked about their origin, and the same, long- and black-haired girl always answered with, "I was born here."

The statement didn't mean all that much to anyone, but who was going to go against a slip of an 18 year old with a creepy foreign protector?

There was five of them in total; two girls and three men. All of them wore incredible black and silver clothing that looked like a fantasy cross between ninja, stalker, swordsmen, and many other things of legend and nightmare. Hanzo, Hanzou, and Goemon watched them closely. Well, Hanzo and Goemon did at least. Hanzou's eyes were set only on the girls. None of them trusted them.

The younger female in the gothic group, who answered to all suspicions, completed her signing up and skipped to the blonde man of her party. He wasn't signing up. Both were obviously Japanese, unlike their companions. The girl glomped the overly feminine man, happily chattering away about something or other. The man laughed at her words, in spite of his nervously shifting gaze.

Hanzo stood as a very pale, black-haired man rejoined the group and saved the blonde from the girls grip. This man was European, and Hanzo had every intention of getting a better answer than, "I was born here."

As he got closer to the threesome with Goemon in tow, he heard the black-haired man say, "Are you _sure _I'll be able to throw ninja stars well enough for this, Usa?"

"Its exactly the same principle as throwing knives, Kieran. Now, quit worrying!" the girl, Usa, admonished, leaning on her European friend. "It's just the tight-rope you might have issues with."

Kieran snorted as the blonde's eyes met Hanzo's, and he shook the girls arm. "Usa..."

"Hm?" she looked over her shoulder at the blonde's indication and paled. "Oh..." she turned to Kieran. "Go get Morgan and Zeigha."

"But-"

"Just go, Kieran!" she hissed, shoving the man gently towards their other companions, who were practicing their Japanese happily with the locals. Kieran went with a dark look at Hanzo as said man halted and loomed over her menacingly. She smiled sheepishly. "Hey, Hanzo..."

She knew his name? He frowned, saving that bit of interrogating for later, and asked, "Did you lead the foreigners here?"

The blonde moved closer to Usa and said, "Yes, we did. I'm actually surprised Usa remembered the way _and _the possible traps along the way."

The girl nodded in agreement. He supposed she was looking serious, but it obviously wasn't something she practiced often. "They've been sworn to secrecy and I trust them with more than just my life, Hanzo. They won't sell us out, and neither will Yuki-chan." she added solemnly.

His eyes lit up in recognition. "Yukimaru, " he breathed, "The man who studied with Usagi three years ago. The senior herbalist she was so fond of, correct?"

"Yea..." Yukimaru acknowledged slowly.

"Have you had any word of her?" Goemon cut in, desperate for news on his childhood fiancee.

"Um.." Yukimaru looked questioningly down at Usa, who had gained a very devilish grin.

"You don't recognize me, do you?" she asked, eyes brimming with mischief.

"No, why would I?" asked Hanzo as Kieran returned with the redheaded female and a similar-looking man with a darker shade of hair. Kieran took hold of Usa's arm, which didn't prohibit her joyous clapping of her hands.

"Well?" Kieran asked, ignoring the pair of first-class ninjas entirely.

"It's nothing, Kieran. We've got a competition to rule, I believe." Usa said, smiling brightly at him. Yukimaru hugged her from behind and whispered in her ear. Whatever he had said, Usa nodded at and all five moved off to the first even; star throwing. Hanzo would have to wait for more answers.

Kieran won full points on his thrid, and last shot at star throwing, along with the redheaded girl, Zeigha. When little Usa stepped up to the plate to take her turn, Yukimaru darted across the throwing field and jumped up onto her target. He opened his arms to the gasping crowd and cried, "**People of Iga! I give you all the return of Usagi of Hojiro!**"

Hanzo stood up instantly, along with Goemon and Hanzou, while Usagi won double full points. She didn't bother throwing her last star.

--

Hanzo's attempts at reaching Usagi after that weren't working out so well. Events and other worried friends kept getting in his way. She had just finished the tight-rope on her hands when he managed to get to her.

He yanked her against his chest without warning, causing Kieran to put up his guard. It looked like Usagi had found another high-standing place in a man's heart. The girl in question laughed and hugged him right back, thrilled to be back in his arms.

"Dammit, Usagi! _Never _leave like that again!" He ordered harshly before placing a number of kisses on her bared neck. Tears were pricking his eyes, and he used this re-acquaintance with her skin to overcome them. "Where'd you go? And why didn't you take me with you?" he asked in no more than a whisper.

"Europe." was her muffled reply.

"What?" Hanzo let her go, completely confused. He had been expected some incredibly mushy sence where both of them admitted their love for one-another and lived happily ever after. And she had said _what?_

"Europe," she said again as though it were the simplest thing on earth. "To find Yuki-chan."

Yukimaru smiled at the mention of his name and took enough time out of holding Zeigha and talking to Morgan to wave at them. Usagi waved back with three times the energy as Hanzo said, "And you just happened to pick up three other people?"

"Oh, no." said Usagi, her attention back on the two men nearest her. She patted Kierans shoulder, and he covered her fingers with his own, making her blush slightly. "Kieran saved me once, and in return I saved him from his order of assassins, or, as I like to call them, the European ninja." She giggled. "That was in Persia."

Hanzo had no idea as to where Persia was, but he was sure the girl would tell him every single detail if he asked. "And the other two?"

"Oh, Morgan and Zeigha. Yuki-chan was married to Zei-chan when I finally found him, in Ireland. When I said I had to go back, Morgan, Zei-chan's brother, was practically dragged along with her and Yuki-chan. I don't actually know why Kieran's been following me around-"

"To keep you from falling down any other holes." said Kieran stonily.

Usagi grinned up at the man. "Cool beans, man." Kieran rolled his eyes and joined Yukimaru's little party. Usagi giggled and continued, "I can speak, like, 12 different languages now, Hanzo. I'll have to teach you some time!"

Hanzo blinked in shock as Goemon stole a hug in passing, Yuri trailing after him. "Then why'd you leave in the first place?"

"Because you claimed I was useless." she said in a small voice. "So I had to go and change that on my own."

"Usagi..." he lifted her up and kissed her gently, something he had wanted to do for a long time, now. "You were never entirely useless, and you had incredible promise."

"Never would have guessed from the way you always harped about it." Usagi grumbled.

He carefully set her on the ground, putting in another kiss for good measure. Now she was flushed and smiling. "What'd you get good at, then?"

"Everything." she said with an evil grin.

He took her hands and kissed her fingers. "Marry me."

The request was simple, and the answer was too. "Sure!" she chirped, pulling her hands away from him and skipping towards the race with her friends. He gaped after her, once again shocked. Wasn't proposing supposed to be a big deal or something? Shouldn't he have gotten a mind-blowing kiss from his dear little fiancee? She turned back momentarily, with a coy smile. "If you can catch me first, that is!!" she called back to him.

Hanzo bolted after her as she laughed and darted ahead of the pack as the race started. He'd have her by the end of the race. More than once, even. He was the finest ninja in Iga, afterall.

--

Fin

--

_A/n--Wow...what a day. Its cutesy and fluffy, but who doesn't like that every once in a while? XD_


End file.
